Letter-press.



No. 628,266. I Patented. July 4, I899.

- D. L. HARDY &. A. L. MAPLE.

LETTER PRESS.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1898.)

(No' Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID L. HARDY AND ALFRED L. MAPLE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO WEBSTER P. BUSHNELL, OF MONTIOELLO, INDIANA.

LETTER-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 628,266, dated July 4, 1899.

Application filed April 18 1898. $erial No. 678,093. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, DAVID L. HARDY and ALFRED L. MAPLE, of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Letter-Press; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to likeparts.

Our invention has for its object an arrangementor construction whereby the moisteningcloth while the copy is being made will be subjected to the same pressure, no more and no less, that it is subjected to while in the bath. The result of this is that no water will be forced out of the moistening-cloth while a copy is being made, and hence neither the copy nor the original writing will be in any manner blurred or marred by reason of too much moisture. With this arrangement the sheet in the copy-book on which the copy is made receives its moisture evenly from the moistening-cloth by absorption only. The function of the press is merely to bring all parts of the moistening-cloth in contact with the copyingsheet. No additional pressure is required. If there should. be additional pressure, asis the case with most presses of which we are aware,'water will be forced out of the moistening-cloth and the ink will be caused to run.

In carrying out this invention we provide that the Volu me of matter under the press shall be identically the same when the moistening-cloth is being pressed out just before the copy is made as when the copy is being made, so the same pressurewill be brought upon the moistening-cloth in the tank and in the copybook. To efiect this last result, a stop is provided that limits the operation of the press and the degree of pressure when the copy is being made to the sameposition and the same degree as when the moistening-cloth isbein g pressed out for use in the copy-book.

Another feature of our invention relates to a bath-tank so constructed that it can be used and placed beneath the copy-book during the copying and at all other times, so that the amount of matter upon which the press acts will always be identical. To carry out this idea, we fill the bath-tank with a wooden block or similar absorbent block that is solid enough to resist the pressure of the press and is ab sol-bent enough to hold the moisture in the tank. In order to preserve the moisturein the tank, we make the same also air-tight. This and the other features of our invention will more fully appear from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure I is a vertical central longitudinal section of our letter-press. Fig. II is a central horizontal section of one of the stop-nuts. Fig. III is a central vertical longitudinal section of the bath-tank.

A very old-style type of letter-press is here shown, whose description it is needless here to present. We provide on the screw 1 stopnuts 2 and 3 to limit the downward movement of the press and adjust it. Our invention is not necessarily limited to the use of the stopnuts on the kind of press shown, but what is shown is merely to explain the general nature of this feature of our invention.

Our-invention embraces the use of a stop upon the press whether it be in the form shown or any other form. As seen in Fig. II, these stop-nuts may be made in halves,with flanges clamped by the screws 4, so that they can be conveniently and quickly added to the old style of press, as is shown herein. I

Under the press shown in Fig. I there is to be seen a copy-book 5 and a bath-tank 6. The bath-tank is below and the copy-book above, this being the most convenient position. Both should be left under the press while copying and at all other times. The bath-tank furnishes asupport for the book,and the two furnish a stable and unchanging olume of matter upon which the press acts.

The bath 6 comprises a metallic tank provided with a lid 7 and a rubber cushion 8, secured within the angle of the lid all the way around. The sides of the tank are. turned in to form the flange or seat 9, upon which the rubber cushion S rests. This flange or seat is sloped downward and inward to cause the water or moisture to run inward. When pressure is exerted on the press,'and thereby upon the lid 7, it is obvious that the tank is rendered air-tight, and this is its proper condition, excepting when it is opened to remove or replace a moistening-cloth. \Vithin the ICO tank a wooden block 10 is shown, formed of two boards secured'together, with their grain running at right angles to each other. This board 10 has three functions. In the first place the moistening-cloths 11 are laid upon it in any desired number. They are thereby kept straight and in place. In the second place the block 10 absorbs'and'distributes the moisture in the tank and conveys it to the cloths upon it. In the third place it furnishes a solid foundation or rest for the book under the action of the press. Along the under side the wooden block is provided with a series of grooves 12, whose function is to aid in the distribution of the water in the lower part of the tank to the various parts of the block. It is immaterial whether the passage-ways for thisdistribution of the water are effected by means of grooves in the block or in thebottom of the tank. The flange 9 should extend almost to-the block to hold it in place andyet be far enough away from it not to interfere with the expansion of the block when charged with water.

In the operation of this press it is immaterial what degree of pressure is exerted, as that may be such as will suit the particular operator. The same results follow, whether the pressure is great or small, so long as the pressure on the moistening-cloth while the copy is being taken is the same as the pressure on it just before it is taken'from the bath. Hence it is also immaterial how much water there may be in the tank, provided there is enough to moisten the cloths. Too much waterin the tank or in the cloth can do no harm and is immaterial, and in this lies the chief feature of our invention.

In presses heretofore, so far as we are aware, there has been no means to regulate tlidpressure, so that thesame pressure is exerted on the cloth before it is put in the copybook and on it while the copy is being made. The degree of pressure in such presses is varied according to the strength of the individual or the accidental and varying application of strength on the press. In fact, it is quite common to subject the cloth before use to no pressure. It is also common to run the clot-l1 through a wringer where the pressure has no relation to the pressure subsequently exerted by the press in making the copy. The result has been with nearly every letter or paper copied the ink in portions of it has been made torun and a smooth uniform copy has been largely accidental. These objections are overcome by this invention.

In use the screw or press is turned down as tight as theoperat-or desires. Then the locknuts are turned down snugly into place, as shown in Fig. I. Then thepress isreleased, the copy-book taken out, the bath-lid lifted, and any desired number of moistening-cloths removed from the bath and put in the book in the ordinary way. Then the press is turned down until stopped by the lock-nut. This operation not only accomplishes the desired objects above specified, but it is easy to operate, asthere is no reason for the operator to strain herself, for the press determines for her the degree of pressure required. It is immaterial in such cases whether the pressure exerted by the press is great or small, as in either case the action of the press on the moistening-cloth will be the same.

Enouglrspace should be left in the tank about the Wooden block to receive the surplusage of water when it is firstput in and before it is taken up by the block. I

IVhat we claim as our invent-ion, an d'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A letter-press including means for pressing out the cloth or other moistening-pad in the bath-tank by the pressure of the press,

and a stop for adjusting and limiting the action of the press.

2. A letter-press including a bath -tank adapted to be placed in the press'with' the copy-book, means therein for subjecting the moistening cloths or pads to the pressure of the press, and a stop for adjusting and limiting the action of the press.

3. A letter-press including a press, a bathtank with a lid depressible by such press, and means within the tank for holding the moistened cloths or pads in engagement with the lid in the press.

4. In aletter-press a bath-tank whose sides are inwardly turned to form aseat or flange, 4

a cushion secured on the under'side of the lid of the tank to rest upon said flange.

5. A letter-press including a bath-tank adapted to be placed with the copy-book under the press and having within it awooden block whose upper surface isadapted to receive the moistening cloths or pads, a lid for such tank adapted when subjected to pressure to press upon such cloths or pads, and

a stop for adjusting and limiting the action of the press.

In witness whereof we have hereunto afiiXed our signatures in the presence of the witnesses herein named.

DAVID L. HARDY. ALFRED L. MAPLE. Witnesses:

V. II. LOCKWOOD, CATHERINE DUNLAP. 

